Improvement-in percussion-fuse for explosive shells



J. P. SGHENKLE.

PERCUSSION FUSE FOR BXPLOSIVE SHELLS.

No. 36,576. Patented Sept. 30, 1862.

Wm 65 Y IWMW" THE NDRms PETERS ca. worauwol WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. SCHENKL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

lMPROVEMENT-|N PERCUSSION-FUSE FOR EXPLOSIVE SHELLS.

S wcilicntiou forming partjof Letters Patent No; 36.571Lda1od September 30, 1862.

.T 0 all whmn, it may concern.-

Be it knownthat I, JOHN P. Sounmcn, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have made an invention of certain new'a-nd useful Improvements in Apparatus or Mechanism for Exploding the Charge of a Hollow Shot or Projectile; and I do hereby declare the said invention to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings.

The apparatus to which my invention appertains is generally or technically known under the name of a concussion-fuse for explosiveprojectiles. Strictlyspeaking, however,

it has not the character of a fuse, as it operates to explode by impact a percussion-cap, in order that such may set fire to the charge of a hollow. plunger.

Of thelsaid drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a rear end view, of

such a concussion-fuse provided with my invention, the nature of which consists or may he found in the construction of the rear end of the plunger-case in such manner that it (while the fuse may be fixed on a shell) shall separate the plunger-chamber from-the powder-charge of the shell, and on explosion of the charge of the plunger be broken away thereby, so as to allow the flame of such explosion tocommunicate with the explosive charge of the shell; also, in providing the coricu'ss'ion-fnse with a gunpowder or explosive charge arranged within the plunger, and-so as to be fired by explosion of the percussionpowdei ofthe cap.

In Fig. 1, A denotes the case or body of the concussion-fuse, it being provided with a screw, a, for fixing it in a shell. The said case is chambered, and contains a cylindrical slider or plunger, B,whioh, in order to prevent accibreech of the loading chamber a vent, (1, leads and opens out of a percussion-nipple, e, affixed to such vent, and within another chamber, f, formed in the striker and around the nipple. The nipple projects a short distance out of the mouth of the chamber f, and receivesa common percussion-cap, g-one formed with a sioncap, as well as to the inside surface of the chamber f. This annulus should be cemented into the chamber f.

The bottom rear end or breech, k, of the case A, I form with a countersunk cylindrical passage to receive the stem i of a leaden or in elastic abutment, which rests against the inner surface of the breech, and is formed with flanges Zm, to embrace the internal and exter nal surfaces of the breech. This leaden abutment is bored through longitudinally and receives a plug, E,which,when the apparatus is fixed in ashell, serves to separate the powdercharge of the shell from the chamber D. It also serves under other circumstances to prevent either dirt or other extraneous matters or water from getting into the said chamber D. The purpose .of the inelastic or leaden abutment is to prevent the plunger B froin'rebounding by the force of impact when driven backward in the chamber D at the period of expul: sion of the shell from a piece of ordnance. Were a rebound of the plunger to take place, the percussion-cap would be forced against the head 0, and explosion of the charge of such cap might result at the commencement of flight of the shell. By making the inelastic abutment in manner as set forth-viz., with two flanges and a tubular stenP- I am enabled not only to so fix it in place as to prevent it from becoming displaced under ordinary circum-- stances, as well as during discharge of a shell from a gun, but render it capable of receiving a plug, E,which on explosion of the powdercharge of the plunger B will be blown out of its seat, so as to enable the flame of such explosion to reach thebursting charge of the shell.

The abutment C may be constructed solid, or wi thout any plug-passage, as such abutment, by the impact of the shell at the termination of its flight, will be likely to be driven forward out of the breech of the body A and against the plunger, in which case the breech would be opened, and in all probability more or less of the flame of the explosion of .the charge of the plunger would pass into the shell, either by going around the abutment and through the breech, or by driving the abutment through the breech and-into the shell; but as there would be a Probability of the-abutment being strong-enough "to raise the plunger and the screw-head O to be driven out of the chamber D, I prefer to make the inelastic abutment with a passage through its. neck for the receptionof a plug, E, as described. Instead of the plug E, a simple cap of thin metal or other suitable material, may be fitted on the rear part of the case A, and so as to cover the opening or passage of the abutment O. This is shown in section at m in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 represents in longitudinal section the inelastic abutment as made with a chamber, n, havingathin bottom,'o, the latter to be broken or driven out of place by the explosion of the charge of the plunger. The said Figs. 3 and 4 serve to illustrate certain modes in which I have contemplated the application of that principle or character of my improvement by which it may be distinguished from other inventions.

Preparatory to inserting in a gun, mortar, or. ho'witzer a shell containing my improved concussion-fuse, the plug 0 should be reversed in the case A, in order that the empty chamber or cavity 0' may not be a bar to the explosion of the percussion-cap at the terminus of the flight of the shell. 7

Having described my improved concussionfuse, what I claim is as follows:

1. The construction of the rear end of the plunger-case A insuehvmannerthatthesaid V a 1 a 1 rear end while the fuse maybe fixed in ashell shall separate the plunger-chamber c from the powder-charge of the shell, and on explosion of the charge of the plunger be broken away Jon. P. SGHENKL.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F, P. HALE, Jr. 

